


waking up next to you

by anabananana



Category: Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live RPF
Genre: F/F, and idk what to tell u, and it's set before nasim left, angsty from nasim kind of, anyway this /sort/ of angsty, i love them, looK they dated and no one can tell me otherwise so, my hand slipped and well, there's making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-07 01:50:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8778322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anabananana/pseuds/anabananana
Summary: It was an odd, disjointed relationship, and if Nasim were honest with herself she would admit she wanted something more solid. More solid than drunkenly making out at the after parties. More solid than whispering in each other’s ears and hugs that were just that little bit longer than if they were hugging anyone else, at goodnights.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is just a short drabble featuring my faves & im not sorry
> 
> not beta'd //

“What?” Kate turned in her chair to eye the brunette across from her on the couch.

“What?” Nasim simulated, ducking her head down to look back at her keyboard innocently.

“Come on, N, you’ve been watching me like a damn hawk for the past half hour. If it’s my hair, I’m not doing a thing to it. It reflects my current state of exhaustion perfectly.”

Nasim laughed, tucked her own hair behind her ears absently.

“How do you even…?” Kate trailed off, waving her hands about expressively, referring to Nasim’s hair, which sat perfectly over her shoulders, barely one strand out of place. Actually, everything about her was stunning. It was almost three in the morning and yet, she looked like it was 8am and she had just had ten hours sleep. Kate took her in in wonderment.

“Now _you’re_ the one who’s staring.” Nasim said, a smile tugging at the corners of her eyes. Kate shrugged.

“Yeah, so what.” Nasim shook her head and continued typing.

 

Wednesday nights were surprisingly not that hard to get through anymore. I mean, like anyone who’s pulling an all-nighter at least once a week they were both tired, but it was in the best way. They didn’t share an office officially, but it was pretty much like they did. At around 10pm Nasim would wander in to Kate and Chris’ office, laptop open in her arms. At first she used to make up some story about a sketch she just couldn’t get right and whether Kate could take a look. But nowadays, she threw herself down on the couch, waved at Chris as he took his queue to leave and got back to writing without a word. It became a sort of routine, something that they could both count on happening once a week, even if they didn’t really speak or interact on any other day. It was an odd, disjointed relationship, and if Nasim were honest with herself she would admit she wanted something more solid. More solid than drunkenly making out at the after parties. More solid than whispering in each other’s ears and hugs that were just that little bit longer than if they were hugging anyone else, at goodnights. But she couldn’t bring it up because she didn’t want to break whatever this was.

 

Kate neglected her desk and went to sit on the couch beside Nasim, tucking one leg beneath her as she did so, looking curiously at her laptop screen and reading. Involuntarily, Nasim took a breath in, her heart beating just that little bit faster due to their proximity. Kate didn’t say anything, but she smiled. She liked the effect she had on people sometimes, but it was even better when it was someone she liked _back_.

“This is good.” She murmured.

“Yeah?” Nasim replied, her voice low.

“I mean, not as good as something _I_ would write, but yeah…” Kate grinned and Nasim rolled her eyes.

“Of course.”

Kate chuckled, taking Nasim’s laptop from her, closing it and placing it on the floor. Then, with no preamble (as it so often was), one hand was at Nasim’s neck, her fingers pushing into that perfect hair, kissing her softly at first, then harder.

“Sometimes, I think about what if would be like to wake up next to you.” Kate whispered, before playfully tugging at Nasim’s earlobe with her teeth and then kissing down her neck. They shifted gracelessly so that they were horizontal on the couch now, Kate on top, her hands roaming beneath Nasim’s tshirt, while Nasim kept her hands entangled in Kate’s hair, which had been shaken loose from its messy topknot.

“I think about that all the time.” Nasim said, panting a little, as she held Kate’s face between her hands, halting her movement for the moment to look her in the eye. Hoping, _wishing_ , that maybe this time it would be real, that maybe tonight one would take the other home, that maybe it wouldn’t be so fucking awkward the next day. Kate smiled, kissing her quick and chastely, before disentangling herself from their embrace, to sit on the floor instead. Nasim sat up, she could feel her cheeks begin to burn from… embarrassment? She waited for Kate to say something. Probably a dumb joke, or tell her that they should get back to writing. Possibly even just walk out on the pretence of needing tea. Anything so they didn't have to have  _this_ conversation. 

“You must get bed head, right?” She said finally, after a long pause. Nasim smiled, her eyebrows raising up in surprise. This wasn’t something they talked about. They didn't talk about going home. They didn't talk about going on dates. They didn't talk about anything that concerned them,  _together_. Not ever. 

“I don’t know,” She quipped, “Guess you’d have to find out.”

“Guess I would.” Kate nodded slowly, then stood up, settling back into her swivel chair and turning back to her Mac, waving the mouse around so she could get back to writing.


	2. when they met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok here is a presequel (this is a word i have made up and it means there's a prequel to the first chapter and then we skip ahead and there is a smol sequel as well)
> 
> i love these dummy girlfriends so much and i am praying for nasim to host while kate is still there, @ lorne make this happen for my smol gay heart thanks

They didn't meet at SNL. It was few weeks after Kate's audition and she hadn't heard back yet. They met at the UCB, even though Nasim was a Groundlings alum, she could still head backstage, so she did. She tried to make it inconspicuous that she was looking for the blonde as she chatted, distractedly, to one the guys there. And then there was Kate, bringing her hair up into a bun, smiling and nodding to another girl. Nasim breathed in. She didn't want to stare, but she honestly just couldn't take her eyes away. Kate scanned the room, her eyes fell upon Nasim for a moment then kept moving. Nasim turned back to the guy and tried (and failed) to engage whole heartedly. 

 

"Hi. Kate." A hand pushed itself between them and Nasim looked away from the guy to meet those piercingly blue eyes. 

"Nasim." Nasim took the hand and shook, cursing herself internally because she could feel how sweaty her palm was. "You were insanely good."

"Thank you. I'm trying to be calm, but--Sorry, you are... so good on Satur--SNL," She makes a strangled noise and laughs, her nose scrunching.

"Thank you." Nasim smiled.

"Do you want to get a coffee or something?" 

 

*/* 

 

"...I guess so, my girlfriend is a bit mad about it, but this is the job..." Nasim hoped that her face didn't show the complete disappointment she suddenly felt. Girlfriend. Of course this glittery blue eyed blonde had a girlfriend. Why wouldn't she? Her thoughts were interrupted by Lil Kim's Big Momma Thang as it rang out and Kate raised a hand.

"Sorry, just a second. I'm hoping to get a call, so, hold up--" she gabbled, rifling through her North Face backpack for her phone. Nasim nodded, watching, as a couple of half formed curls that had strayed free from the bun fell into Kate eyes. If someone had asked her what emoji was she right now, without a doubt it would be the heart eyes one.

"Hello. Yes, this is she--Oh, hi." Kate looked up sharply, her eyes wide as she listened to the other end of the line. Nasim watched her, eyebrows raised questioningly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright, thank you. Thanks so much." 

"What?"

"Uhh," Kate's eyes shone a little, tears welling. "I, uh, I got the job at SNL?"

Before Nasim could say anything the first thought that flicked through her mind was that she would be working with this girl every day. Shit…?

 

*/*

 

They didn't see each other again, not before Kate started working at SNL. They meant to. It was a few weeks of missed calls, texts that only began with 'sorry' and ended with 'maybe some other time'. When they met again Kate kept her distance at first, she was still new, Nasim had been there a while now. She knew the ropes. When they met again, it was this strange, awkward encounter. When you know someone isimportant to you. The quote that wooshed through Kate's mind was one from Amy's book when she speaks about meeting Seth, like a locket clicking together. Nasim stayed where she felt safe, not that with Kate she felt  _un_ safe. But rather the uncertainty of them together kept her away. And she assumed Kate still had a girlfriend.

 

*/*

 

It began the week Jamie Foxx hosted. Kate had been there for about 15 weeks now and felt a sense of familiarity. That Wednesday Nasim had wandered in, falling short at the door as she realised Kate was on the phone. She didn't look up and Nasim stepped out again, loitering just out of sight but in earshot.

"... Babe. Come on. This is my dream job, I can't give it up. We-You knew the hours I'd be working... Seriously? I can't--Fine! Fine." Nasim heard the phone clutter onto the desk. "I know you're there."

She shuffled uncomfortably back into the doorway, her cheeks pink. "Sorry."

"Hey, no, it's," Kate let a breath out, "Fine. It's fine."

"I can go—“ 

"No. Stay." 

 

They didn't talk about the missed calls and empty text messages. They didn't talk about the fifteen weeks before that that they had barely spoken a word to each other. They didn't talk about the now ex-girlfriend. No, it was easier not too. Instead they got through the week somehow always at each other's sides and when it came to goodnights Nasim couldn’t help herself anymore. She watched Jamie say he’s goodnights and she smiled. She smiled because it had been a good week. She smiled because Kate had absently held her hand at the table read on Thursday. She smiled because on the Wednesday that it had all began, they had spent most of the night sitting crossed leg on the floor talking. She smiled and turned toward Kate.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

Kate turned, her hands clasping Nasim’s elbows, then pulled her in to kiss her cheek.

“Me too.” They pulled away, feeling Taran’s presence behind them. Kate was smiling so big, her dimples clearer than ever and Nasim felt her stomach flip in the very best way.

 

They made out at the after party, Kate had carefully tucked a curtain of Nasim’s hair behind one of her ears and dipped in easily and when she had pulled away Nasim felt just the slightest bit light headed, her eyes fixed on Kate’s mouth and the smile that resided there afterwards. And then they made out at almost every after party after that one. They started sending goodnight texts. They started kissing on writing nights. They held hands during rehearsals when it wouldn’t be noticeable, or at a time when everyone was too half asleep to notice. Then, one time Kate clicked her pen pointedly at Nasim during a table read and they somehow ended up in a bathroom stall, Kate on her knees, Nasim with her back to the door, her skirt scrunched tight around her thighs. Then it was a year gone and Kate got promoted to repertory status and they celebrated with too much alcohol and ended up—

 

 

Nasim squinted through the sunlight, trying to get her bearings. There was a photo frame on the side table next to her with a picture of a cat in it, next to that a glass of water and an aspirin bottle. She turned her head, eyeing the cluttered desk and smiled a little, then finally looked to the space on the bed next to her. Kate was still asleep, lying on her stomach, one hand clutching onto… was that? Nasim sat up a little better to get a closer a look, _it was_. She was clutching onto Nasim’s tshirt. She untangled herself from the sheet around her legs and tiptoed out of the room, turning back in the doorway for a moment. Maybe this was it would be like from now on. Kate turned over, her eyes fluttering open, she smiled sleepily.

“Bed head.” She murmured, closing her eyes again. Nasim pushed her fingers through her hair, simpering.


End file.
